NORWALK, Conn. — A major mixed-use development project at 20 N. Water St. in South Norwalk received Zoning Commission approval Wednesday after the developer agreed to relocate some affordable housing units.

Norwalk-based Spinnaker Real Estate Partners is planning a multimillion-dollar, 107-unit apartment building — with retail and restaurant space — at the site of the former Norwalk Co. building. As part of the project, Spinnaker sought to place seven of 11 affordable apartments slated for the complex at property it owns at 50 Connecticut Ave.

The affordable apartments, which are required under the city's workforce housing regulations, can be placed on-site or elsewhere in the community, so long as represent 10 percent of the project. Officials adopted the provision to help increase Norwalk's affordable housing stock.

But about a dozen residents said at a public hearing Wednesday that putting the units in a Connecticut Avenue complex that is already affordable does not increase the number of such units in Norwalk.

Also at issue was the unequal nature of some affordable units located in a new, luxury complex compared with units in an old, existing building. The Spinnaker development would feature water views, a private putting green on the roof and its own movie theater.

Additionally, many objected to the gentrification aspects of the plan. Former Norwalk Economic Opportunity Now Director Robert Burgess said he believed the plan to relocate some affordable units may violate a consent decree the city adopted in the 1970s to improve affordable housing in Norwalk.

"HUD found that there was systemic discrimination in Norwalk when it came to housing," Burgess said.

Nothing about the development project was discriminatory, said Spinnaker attorney Peter Nolin, a former Common Councilman. The consent decree was designed to move affordable units out of South Norwalk and place them in other areas of the city, which the project does, Nolin said. Additionally, the development would make those affordable units permanent, which is a "huge benefit to the city," he added.

After a 10-minute recess, Spinnaker agreed to keep four affordable units at the development, place five at the Connecticut Avenue location — not seven — and place three units in other areas of the city.

Comments (3)

why when talking keeping the old buiding the mayor and and Spinnaker could not be done there wasn't enough sidewalk.Why now that the building is gone and the reporter missed a great shot of what it looks like now.There is now less room to walk on a half of sidewalk with the damm fence.

In fact most projects in Norwalk now close the sidewalks for years when there isn't activity to tyhe site.

I think the Mayor has the power to reopen sidewalks or is that asking too much?

Seems like a great solution for Spinnaker- make promises, make excuses and convince the Mayor to lean on his people on Zoning. The affordable units are supposed to help new projects have some diversity. If you put them in a run-down building, you haven't created "affordable" units- so no improvement for working families.